What is a CV?Curriculum Vitae: an outline of a person's educational and professional history, usually prepared for job applications (L, lit.: the course of one's life). Another name for a CV is a résumé.

A CV is the most flexible and convenient way to make applications. It conveys your personal details in the way that presents you in the best possible light. A CV is a marketing document in which you are marketing something: yourself! You need to "sell" your skills, abilities, qualifications and experience to employers. It can be used to make multiple applications to employers in a specific career area. For this reason, many large graduate recruiters will not accept CVs and instead use their own application form.

[/LEFT][/LEFT]When should a CV be used?When an employer asks for applications to be received in this format.
When an employer simply states "apply to ..." without specifying the format.
When making speculative applications (when writing to an employer who has not advertised a vacancy but who you hope may have one).How Do I Know When To Use One?An employer is usually pretty specific about what they need from a job applicant. If they want a resume, they’ll ask for a resume. If they want a CV, they’ll ask for a CV.

And if you’re applying for a job in the States and the position is anything other than academic, you can pretty much guarantee you’ll be safe turning in a resume instead of a CV (especially if the job is one where the hiring manager or recruiter is going to be expected to review thousands of potential hires).

If you’re still not sure, or you’re applying to a job or position abroad, it never hurts to ask which format they would like.What makes a good CV?There is no single "correct" way to write and present a CV but the following general rules apply:
It is targeted on the specific job or career area for which you are applying and brings out the relevant skills you have to offer
It is carefully and clearly laid out: logically ordered, easy to read and not cramped
It is informative but concise
It is accurate in content, spelling and grammar. If you mention attention to detail as a skill, make sure your spelling and grammar is perfect!
If your CV is written backwards on pink polka dot paper and it gets you regular interviews, it's a good CV! The bottom line is that if it's producing results don't change it too much but if it's not, keep changing it until it does.

If it's not working, ask people to look at it and suggest changes. Having said this, if you use the example CVs in these pages as a starting point, you are unlikely to go far wrong.

What mistakes do candidates make on their CV?One survey of employers found the following mistakes were most common
Spelling and grammar 56% of employers found this
Not tailored to the job 21%
Length not right & poor work history 16%
Poor format and no use of bullets 11%
No accomplishments 9%
Contact & email problems 8%
Objective/profile was too vague 5%
Lying 2%
Others 3% (listing all memberships, listing personal hobbies, using abbreviations)
Having a photo 1%What To Include In a CV & CV FormatSo, I need to give a potential employer my CV…how do I write one? Is there a special format?

Unfortunately there isn’t one specific format for a CV and you will have to determine exactly what CV is right for the position you are applying to.

Wait, isn’t that technically tailoring!? I thought you said a CV didn’t use tailoring. Would you please make up your mind?!?

All right, you’re right…sort of. While it’s true that you don’t tailor your CV content to the individual jobs you’re applying to in quite the same way you tailor your resume, you do make sure that the CV you are creating is right for the area of work you are doing overall…and there are lots of different types of CVs, just as there are lots of different areas of work.

So how do I make sure I’m creating the CV that is right for what area of work I’m going into?

One type of job might want you to emphasize a specific area whereas another might ask you to elaborate on a totally different area and knowing which is which is critical to making sure your CV is perfect for your discipline.

The best way to know what CV is right for your industry is to look at examples others have done. You can do this by either researching them online or by reaching out and talking to either your mentor or peers who are already employed where you are applying.

Of course, as we tell you with every other example we give you here at TheInterviewGuys.com, these examples are only examples and you should make sure your CV is specific to you and not just a copy of what someone else has done.

Remember, you’re an individual and your CV should reflect that.

With that being said, however, there are some common CV features you should keep in mind when writing yours.What information should a CV include?What are the most important aspects of CV that you look for?
One survey of employers found that the following aspects were most looked for
(From the brilliant 2010 Orange County Resume Survey by Eric Hilden)Personal detailsNormally these would be your name, address, date of birth (although with age discrimination laws now in force this isn't essential), telephone number and email.

British CVs don't usually include a photograph unless you are an actor. In European countries such as France, Belgium and Germany it’s common for CVs to include a passport-sized photograph in the top right-hand corner whereas in the UK and the USA photographs are frowned upon as this may contravene equal opportunity legislation - a photograph makes it easier to reject a candidate on grounds of ethnicity, *** or age. If you do include a photograph it should be a head and shoulders shot, you should be dressed suitably and smiling: it's not for a passport! See ourEducation and qualificationsYour degree subject and university, plus A levels and GCSEs or *****alents. Mention grades unless poor!Work experienceUse action words such as developed, planned and organised.
Even work in a shop, bar or restaurant will involve working in a team, providing a quality service to customers, and dealing tactfully with complaints. Don't mention the routine, non-people tasks (cleaning the tables) unless you are applying for a casual summer job in a restaurant or similar.
Try to relate the skills to the job. A finance job will involve numeracy, analytical and problem solving skills so focus on these whereas for a marketing role you would place a bit more emphasis on persuading and negotiating skills.
All of my work experiences have involved working within a team-based culture. This involved planning, organisation, coordination and commitment e.g., in retail, this ensured daily sales targets were met, a fair distribution of tasks and effective communication amongst all staff members.

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Interests and achievementsKeep this section short and to the point. As you grow older, your employment record will take precedence and interests will typically diminish greatly in length and importance.
Bullets can be used to separate interests into different types: sporting, creative etc.
Don't use the old boring cliches here: "socialising with friends".
Don't put many passive, solitary hobbies (reading, watching TV, stamp collecting) or you may be perceived as lacking people skills. If you do put these, then say what you read or watch: "I particularly enjoy Dickens, for the vivid insights you get into life in Victorian times".
Show a range of interests to avoid coming across as narrow: if everything centres around sport they may wonder if you could hold a conversation with a client who wasn't interested in sport.
Hobbies that are a little out of the ordinary can help you to stand out from the crowd: skydiving or mountaineering can show a sense of wanting to stretch yourself and an ability to rely on yourself in demanding situations
Any interests relevant to the job are worth mentioning: current affairs if you wish to be a journalist; a fantasy share portfolio such as Bullbearings if you want to work in finance.
Any evidence of leadership is important to mention: captain or coach of a sports team, course representative, chair of a student society, scout leader: "As captain of the school cricket team, I had to set a positive example, motivate and coach players and think on my feet when making bowling and field position changes, often in tense situations"
Anything showing evidence of employability skills such as team working, organising, planning, persuading, negotiating etc.
Skills
The usual ones to mention are ********s (good conversational French, basic Spanish), computing (e.g. "good working knowledge of MS Access and Excel, plus basic web page design skills" and driving ("full current clean driving licence").
If you are a mature candidate or have lots of relevant skills to offer, a skills-based CV may work for youReferencesMany employers don’t check references at the application stage so unless the vacancy specifically requests referees it's fine to omit this section completely if you are running short of space or to say "References are available on request."
Normally two referees are sufficient: one academic (perhaps your tutor or a project supervisor) and one from an employer (perhaps your last part-time or summer job). See our page on Choosing and Using Referees for more help with this.
The order and the emphasis will depend on what you are applying for and what you have to offer. For example, the example media CV lists the candidate's relevant work experience first.
If you are applying for more than one type of work, you should have a different CV tailored to each career area, highlighting different aspects of your skills and experience.

A personal profile at the start of the CV can work for jobs in competitive industries such as the media or advertising, to help you to stand out from the crowd. If used, it needs to be original and well written. Don’t just use the usual hackneyed expressions: “I am an excellent communicator who works well in a team…… “